EU to reopen probe of secret CIA prisons after evidence of Ukraine involvement

[JURIST] The European Parliament committee on CIA activities in Europe (TDIP) [official website] will reopen its investigation into the alleged operation of secret CIA prisons [JURIST news archive] in Europe, two committee members said Wednesday. Giulietto Chiesa and Claudio Fava [official profiles] said that new evidence of secret prisons and rendition flights in Ukraine prompted the TDIP to reopen the investigation. Fava told reporters Wednesday that the "strong and very specific evidence" includes a document, which was featured on a Russian TV documentary, indicating that the country issued landing authorizations for CIA operated flights in 2005. There are also reports that a prison was built on a Ukrainian military base, which was used for 10 prisoners with 10 guards. Ukrainian officials have denied the allegations.

Fava headed the European Parliament's investigation into reports of secret CIA facilities in Europe, which was initially closed when the European Parliament approved [JURIST report] Fava's report [adopted text, DOC] in February. The report condemned EU member states for cooperating with the CIA in operating secret prisons and extraordinary rendition flights and criticized several countries for their "reluctance to cooperate" with the TDIP investigation. The report also noted that reports of secret prisons in Poland could be proved only by circumstantial evidence, and therefore could "neither be confirmed nor denied." AP has additional coverage. EUobserver has additional coverage.

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